*Shows up with a chapter after 2 weeks again*

Hey guys, guess what? I actually have a reason for my absence this time! Basically since I last updated this fic, I got talking with my friend (Girly411 on AO3) about this idea that she had and now we're starting to write a Boueibu AU together! We've already got the first chapter done, but we wanted to have a few more ready in case school got hectic for either of us so... that's what I've been up to! We hope to put up the first chapter within the next week so keep a look out for it! We'll only be posting it on AO3 though because we know how to do co-author stuff on there and... have no clue if we even can on

Anyway, I've held you up long enough. I'll let you get back to Akorima cute~.

Akoya had been drifting in and out of consciousness for some time now. Every so often his brain would begin to wake up, only to be shut down again because of how comfortable he was. His body was wrapped around something warm and soft, that rose and fell in time with his own breathing. He was aware of the object draping over his shoulders and the other one resting on his waist, but he didn't care enough to figure out what they were. Within their grasp, against this lovely pillow, he felt warm and safe. Akoya was content and that was all that mattered to him.

Occasionally the thing holding Akoya would fidget or change position slightly, but it never released him. At one of these points, Akoya realized that the thing over his waist was an arm because he could feel a hand resting right above his hip bone.

That was when the memories of the previous night came back to Akoya. He'd spent the afternoon with Ibushi and then they came back to his house to begin their sleepover scheme. He supposed that it was working so far, since they'd managed to fall asleep during a movie… in each other's arms.

Akoya's eyes quickly fluttered open, taking in his surroundings. His head was resting on Ibushi's chest, arms wrapped around the older boy's middle as well as possible. The light was still filtering through the cracks in the blinds, the sunlight still slightly irritating to Akoya's half-asleep eyes. So he nuzzled his face into Ibushi, trying to hide from the light with a moan.

For a second, Ibushi's steady breathing went out of time. Then Akoya felt him nuzzle back, pushing his nose into the younger teen's hair with a content exhale. Akoya blushed at the response he'd received and sat up a bit, resting most of his weight on his elbow… which was feeling tingly from both himself and Ibushi sleeping on top of that arm.

As if responding to the sudden lack of a head under his chin, Ibushi's dark red eyes opened, resting fondly with a smile on Akoya. "Good morning."

"G-good morning." Akoya stammered, letting go of Ibushi and scooting a few inches away. "Sorry I woke you up."

"You didn't wake me." Ibushi assured. "I've been awake for a little while, but I didn't want to move and disturb you."

"Oh… sorry for the inconvenience then."

"It was no inconvenience."

Akoya yawned and looked around the room. When had the TV been turned off? "What time is it?"

Ibushi took his phone from the nightstand and unlocked it. "6:15." He put it back, sat up, and stretched his arms over his head. "My parents should be home by now." His arms fell back to his sides and he laid back down.

"Does that mean someone will be up to get you soon?" Akoya questioned.

Ibushi nodded. "Any minute now."

The pair waited in silence for a rather awkward moment. Or, it was awkward for Akoya. He'd fallen asleep with the TV on. If Ibushi had done the same, then that meant that someone had come into the room and turned it off at some point. Did that change anything? Did Ibushi's parents already know he'd spent the night? Oh, Akoya hoped he was just over-thinking this whole thing.

Knocks resounded on the door before it creaked open, revealing that woman with the mole from last night… Aya was her name..?

"Oh, good, you two are awake now." Crap. "Ibushi-san, your parents have just arrived and they know that you… have a guest."

Ibushi groaned. "Thanks, Aya."

Aya smiled sympathetically at him and Akoya. "I'm sorry, this is part of my job. The masters of the house have every right to know who's in it. Come down to the kitchen soon; you can all talk over breakfast." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

They waited for a minute but heard no footsteps outside the door. Ibushi sighed and rolled onto his side to face Akoya. "What do we do now?" Was it just him or was Ibushi speaking a bit louder than he needed to?

Then he winked and Akoya got the hint, going into character. "I don't know, I'm… I'm sorry Ibu-chan, I shouldn't have fallen asleep."

"Hey, hey." Ibushi hushed. "It's not your fault; I fell asleep too."

"But…" Akoya made himself sound more upset. "But you were supposed to walk me home after we-" Akoya gasped. "Ibu-chan, what if your parents don't let me see you anymore?"

"They won't do that-"

"How do you know?" Akoya cut him off. "You told me you didn't date anyone before me; we have no idea how they'll react-"

"Akoya." Ibushi called with a stern, even voice. "It's going to be alright; I promise."

Akoya softened his voice. "Ibu-chan…"

"I promise that." Ibushi kissed his hand. "We are gonna be." He did it again. "Just fine." And again. "Okay?"

Akoya nodded, trying not to giggle at how stupid all of this was. He failed. "Okay."

"Alright." Finally, the two of them heard footsteps against the hardwood and they smirked at one another. Damn, they were good!

Ibushi stood up and walked up to the door leading into his closet, on the other side of his night stand. "I'm just going to change my shirt quickly. If you'd like to do anything before we go downstairs, feel free to use the bathroom."

"Thank you." Akoya stood from the bed and began the search for his hairbrush while Ibushi went into the closet. "Do you think we left that open enough?"

"Definitely." Came Ibushi's faint reply. "Hey, Akoya…"

"Hmm?" He replied. Finally, he found his brush.

Ibushi stepped out of the closet while buttoning up a blue polo. "I'm having more fun with this than I originally thought.

Akoya smiled at him and gripped his brush. "Me too."

After one trip to the bathroom each and fifteen minutes of Akoya brushing out his hair, he and Ibushi made their way down to the dining area. They were greeted by a decent spread of food on the table and two neutral expressions from Mr. and Mrs. Arima. The heads of the house watched carefully as the pair sat down beside each other and started making up plates.

Ibushi's father was the first to break the silence. "Good morning."

"Good morning." His mother said a few seconds later.

"Welcome home." Ibushi answered. "How was Iceland?"

"Warmer than you'd first think." Mrs. Arima replied. "How was your evening?"

Ibushi cleared his throat and glanced at Akoya, who was blushing beside him. "Oh, it was uh…" He definitely made it look like he couldn't find the correct words. "We had a nice time. I took Akoya out for dinner last night and we came back here to watch some movies."

"And she spent the night?" Ibushi's mother added.

"Well, um…" Ibushi started poking at his food. "Yeah, that's what wound up happening."

"And how does something like this 'wind up' happening?" His father continued.

Akoya started twirling some hair around his finger. "Well you uh… fall asleep."

Ibushi's father smirked at him. "Must've tired her out on this date, huh?"

"Dad, I swear, we didn't do anything." Ibushi protested.

"We really didn't." Akoya repeated.

"We just fell asleep while we were watching a movie." Ibushi explained.

It was silent for a bit longer than Akoya had hoped. Did they sound defensive enough? Was what they said too much? Or too little? There were still more parts to this plan, but was this one offense somehow enough for them?

Ibushi's parents exchanged a look before his mom sighed. "Alright, we believe you. Just make sure that this never happens again, understood?"

"Yes, Mom."

"Yes, Ma'am."

After what had to be the most awkward breakfast Akoya had ever had to sit through, he collected his things and Ibushi walked him back into the city. On the way, Akoya sent a text to his driver asking to be picked up in front of the school. It wasn't too far away, but the two of them have found that these walks after their "dates" to be helpful. It gave both of them time to cool down, prepare for what would come next, and figure out if they needed to adjust anything in their plan.

It seemed like the Arimas weren't too upset by their sleepover, so they might have to make another offense in a few weeks. But that would entirely depend on what Ibushi's parents say to him when Akoya isn't around.

Then Ibushi made a suggestion for their next move, should they need one. He said that maybe they should go to commoners' hangouts and come back with souvenirs for his parents to find. Akoya wanted to laugh at the idea until Ibushi explained his reasoning further.

It was no secret anymore that Ibushi was a sheltered child, and still was sheltered. His parents were surely trying to keep him from something, even if he didn't know what that was yet. Ibushi wanted to have more experiences with things that average people did. He wanted to see more of the world and this was the perfect opportunity to do it. If his parents thought that Akoya was taking him to these places that they tried to keep him away from, surely there would be some kind of reaction.

Akoya wanted to reject the proposal. He really did. Right from the moment Ibushi said he'd like to visit a "thrift store" Akoya wrinkled his nose and thought no way. But he looked so genuinely interested and excited that… Akoya didn't have the heart to say no. He was already pretending to date the guy, which was a big deal. So, he might as well take another one for the team… and at least say he'd think about it.

One of the family limos pulled up in front of the school gates and the pair said their goodbyes as Akoya opened the door and climbed in.

"Good morning, Akoya-san." The driver greeted plainly. He started driving again the moment Akoya was settled in the back seat. Akoya barely got a chance to watch Ibushi's form fade into the distance, but he managed a quick glance.

The ride home was silent, as usual. But Akoya didn't mind. It gave him time to think and organize things in his head. What did he have to do today? How much homework did he still have to do? Was he sure he did everything Kinshiro had told him to complete this week? And, most importantly, would he be able to manage these "commoners excursions" Ibushi wanted to go on? These questions occupied him until they reached his home.

"Welcome home, Akoya." He was greeted the instant he walked in the front door by Emi, one of his personal maids. She was a petite woman, her head only reaching Akoya's chest when she stood upright, and had gorgeous long black hair. Emi had been working at the house since Akoya was three years old and was somehow assigned to the specific task of caring for him a couple of years later. He didn't remember the details, but Akoya'd known the woman for most of his life. She was one of the few constants within it.

He greeted her back as he toed off his shoes and immediately made his way up to the second floor, where his personal wing of the house was located. Every room down this one hallway to the right of the staircase belonged to him. The bedrooms, the bathrooms, the living spaces, and every single closet.

They were all a part of his space, and even a stranger could tell that Akoya had been a heavy influence on the wing's entire design. Whites, beiges, and creams were colors used in every one of Akoya's rooms. Tasteful pastels added a splash of color, saving his favorite pinks for the bedroom that he actually called his own. The rest were merely used as closet spaces or guest rooms, if the need applied. Chandeliers, crystal doorknobs, and ample natural light from big windows… the entire wing wasted no time in sharing Akoya's expensive taste.

When he got to his bedroom, Akoya tossed his bag onto the couch and shrugged off the jean jacket he'd been wearing since yesterday as he entered his closet. He shut the door behind him and dropped the jacket on a nearby ottoman, next working on unzipping his dress and stepping out of it. Those definitely both need a wash. He mused as he looked over the lines of clothes covering the walls, stopping when his eye caught his reflection in one of the many mirrors installed in the space.

He smiled at his reflection. Beautiful, as always. Though his hair could use another brushing, everything else was perfect. Flawless skin, a perfectly slim figure, just the right amount of muscle to show off some athleticism. He had to admit, he looked pretty damn good in just his underwear. But Akoya definitely preferred to be covered up. Clothing only enhanced his beauty, showcased it to everyone he encountered. And it was just more comfortable.

Because even someone as flawless as Akoya was could have insecurities. He hated showing too much skin; it just seemed so… indecent. Of course, he had shorts and tank tops for those scorching summer days, but he never enjoyed dressing for that kind of weather. It wasn't as fun as sporting a twirly skirt in the spring time or a fluffy sweater in the winter.

Akoya sighed, drawing his eyes away from his reflection and back to his racks of clothes. Ugh, he didn't know what he wanted to wear! Nothing stuck out to him, he'd worn everything that he'd gotten on his latest shopping trip… god, why was this so hard?! At least when he went to school he didn't have to choose what to wear every morning. Bless uniforms, seriously.

In the end, after he'd stood in the same spot for ten minutes and started to shiver a bit due to exposure, Akoya had settled for a cardigan over a plain shirt and skinny jeans. It wasn't like he planned on going anywhere else today anyway; he still had homework to finish for tomorrow.

Speaking of that, he should probably get going on it right away. So Akoya grabbed his school bag and sat on his sofa, pulling everything he needed out of his bag and piling it onto his coffee table. He double-checked his assignments and only then did he realize how much still needed to be done. He huffed. He was going to be here for a while.

About three worksheets and thirty math problems later, Akoya heard a knock on his door. "Come in." He said without taking his eyes off of his next example.

He heard the door open before Emi's voice reached him. "Hard at work?" Akoya just nodded. He heard the door close. "Can I get you anything, sweetie?"

Only then did Akoya look up at her. It still surprised him when she actually offered to get him things. That was mostly because… no one else did. If it was any of the other staff, they'd just make sure he was still alive and wouldn't otherwise come unless he called.

Not Emi. She actually seemed to… care.

"Um…" He glanced back down at his notebooks. "How long have I been up here?"

"About two hours." Emi replied. "Maybe a bit more."

"Then can I have some tea and a snack?" Akoya requested.

"Of course!" Emi chirped. "Oh! Guess what I went out and bought for you~." She didn't give him time to answer. "I went to that bakery that you like and got you a box of your macarons."

Akoya couldn't help but smile. "Really?"

"I did~." Emi sang as she opened the door again. "I'll make up a tray for you and be back up in a bit."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

After Emi left, Akoya went back to his work. Sheesh, he still had ten more math examples to go… He wound up finishing half of them before Emi came back to his room, silver platter with his morning snack in-hand.

"Here you go." Emi set the tray down on the coffee table and Akoya's focus immediately turned to the steaming cup of tea and the delicate stack of macarons on a plate. "Come on, you've been at that long enough. You deserve a little break."

Akoya chuckled as he put his pencil down and picked up the cup of tea. "You're right." He took a sip and sighed contently. Ah, jasmine tea… good choice.

Emi sat on one of the armrests of the couch. "So, how was your night with Arima-san? Did you get all your work done?"

"We believe so." Akoya put down the teacup and went for the macarons. "We may need to revise it, depending on what happens tomorrow."

Emi hummed in agreement, staying silent until Akoya'd finished off the first macaron. "You've been spending a lot of time with Arima-san lately, I've noticed."

"Yes. A lot of business lately has demanded our joint effort."

"Just business, huh?" Akoya nodded in response. "Okay." Emi stood and made her way to the door. "I have a chore to get back to downstairs. Text me if you need anything, alright?"

Akoya took the teacup in his hands again. "Thank you, Emi."

After she left the room, Akoya drank some more of his tea. Somehow he wound up asking himself a similar question. Was spending all this time with Ibushi really just to help him out?